| By Alvin Engelke
 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
The balmy weather came to an end at Creston and the ATV poker run was run mostly in mist and rain. In spite of the less than ideal weather 70 some riders showed up for the trip. For certain there was no dust and even those who were careful were muddy. Jackie Blair won first, John Starcher finished second and James Bruce was third. Garrell McKown won the 50/50. Becky Starcher made some fine Granny Smith apple pies and then there was chili and hamburgers, etc. for the riders. Some folks came down from northern Ohio while John Broschart and a comely relative came down from Belington to make the ride.
While there has been some frost in other areas, Creston has yet to have frost and some sweet corn was freshly picked for Sunday dinner. The oaks have yet to start to turn which should make for unique colors whenever that will be.
According to whispers heard on the wind there will be a gathering of specters, spirits apparitions, other world residents, famous folks from the past etc at the gathering place (other worlders will know where) Saturday evening. It has been said that there will be special "rides" and other treats. This is one of those times one can dress up and be someone (or someone else) and no one will think bad of one for doing it. For details one can contact Dorine (that's the place behind the spider webs and other haunty things at the end of the bridge) or Donna (who has some special brooms for those who she wants to be made to fly away). Moral is better be nice to Donna.
Thieves have been busy back at the head of Beaver Dam. Among other things chain saws and "adult beverages" were stolen and other items were destroyed. There is a $500 reward with no questions asked. Certain other items which are unique to this thievery went away too so the crime shouldn't be too hard to solve. Also it was noted that all the bucks in the same area "went away" but then the dogs started dragging in deer bones. Perhaps the coyotes decided to harvest the bucks with big racks.
Eva G. Pennington and Alice Cunningham motored to the eastern panhandle to visit Alice's daughter and family.
Anna Reno had a close scrape the other day when she lost control of her chariot in the curve near the old Cedar Hill school property. There have been a lot of wrecks in that area.
The Public Service Commission approved the sale of Allegheny Power's gas utility operations to a new outfit called Mountaineer Gas. It is hoped that the same local helpful crew will be allowed to stay on.
It would appear that the price of natural gas has peaked around $13.50 and may be trending downward. The amount Hope (Dominion's retail end) actually paid for August gas was $6.58/dekatherm and their sister company, Dominion charged just $1/thousand for transportation. Some of the gas purchased by the new Mountaineer Gas Company only fetches 20 cents/MCF. The price of gas will be determined, in part, by the severity of the winter. The British company that is trying to make its presence known in this country has predicted a winter like the 1977-78 season which the year when water lines froze some feet down in the ground and the gas line going up the Richardsonville road got a hole in it and filled with water which froze.
The price of local Penn grade crude oil fell to $57/bbl and gasoline is, in some places, under $2.50/gallon.
Drilling of new wells out around the area continues although there were two tragedies this past week. Texas Keystone, an outfit that has been trying to get leases in Wirt, was having 7" casing cemented in a Tyler County well which was flowing oil. Apparently the cement truck started taking in the gas fumes causing the diesel engine to "run away" and blow up. The rig crew tried to run away and one tried to jump across the pit which had 6" of oil in it. He didn't make it and the two who tried to rescue him are in the Pittsburgh burn center.
A Roane County resident was working on a well in Mingo County when the Kelley hose burst. It was reported that improper procedures were part of the problem in the latter incident.
The shortage of drilling rigs and rig hands is so bad in the west that the communist Chinese government has sent over drilling rigs, complete with crews of Chinamen to do drilling. Not so long back in China 600 people were killed by H2S (hydrogen sulphide or rotten egg gas) because it took two days to locate a commissar who was placed high enough to allow a valve to be shut.
Speaking of the communist Chinese those with internet access should check the Big Box Store video on Jib Jab.
Rev. Juanita Lockhart filled her regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church. Next week Rev. Carlos Nutter will bring the message and serve Holy Communion.
The folks who live down Route 5 had a scheduled electric outage Sunday Morning. Folks who live on the Grantsville service line were not impacted.
Some local residents were visiting up in Ohio Amish country. Up in that section they were still baling alfalfa. On the local scene an obstinate state agency is trying again to run the local Amish away. They have come up with a new plan which is to require them to obtain a "widget" that doesn't exist and cannot be bought. One might gather that those who work and have well behaved children are not the sorts of residents that some in state government want.
In an earlier day the non-Amish would take these "public servants" out & give them an "attitude adjustment". Tar & feathers, a blanket party, hickory switches would be good for starters and then (and now) the county commissions could, through their appointed representatives, drop the hammer. It is no wonder wild, wonderful West Virginia continues to have an anti-business reputation.
Bessie Arthur attended her 50th class reunion which was held at the Elizabeth Baptist church fellowship hall. Martha Deel who is a native of Cherry was also among the Class of '55 attendees.
The J. B. & Verna Scott family had a reunion at the historic old Ruble log church at the head of Burning Springs Run.
Where I'm From
By Elizabeth Hursell
I am from torn jeans
From boots and work gloves
I am from the hill sides above the dirt roads
(It's beautiful standing in the sun)
I am from tents,
Moving onto cabins
Whose wood gave me splinters
I remember
As it was just yesterday
I'm from bon fires and snipe hunting
From mud on the tires and dirty faces
I'm from living life like it's your last day, and carefree
From come on you can do it, and try again
I'm from rivers with a bar of soap in my hand
And somehow come out clean
I'm from the past and the present
Burnt marshmallows and hot dogs
From ticks that try to burrow into my skin
The air that keeps me walking
It's my getaway,
Where I just have fun
I am from ancestors
That lived life the right way
To teach me everything I need to know
Elizabeth Hursell, daughter of Don Hursell, is a descendant of John Boggs who settled on Spring Creek before Roane was a county. One of John's descendants, Jim "Banty" Boggs lived on Beaver Dam not far from Creston (on R. F. D. #1) and Don Hursell is a descendant of Jim "Banty" Boggs. Mrs. Charles Flesher would be an aunt or great aunt. Of course they have scads of relatives in the area (including the Creston News writer). The Hursells live up in Ohio.
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